Full Schedule

Learning objective: Examine techniques to inspire, motivate, and support their teams on the journey to excellence.

Effective leadership goes beyond individual achievements; it involves empowering others to excel and fostering a culture of collaboration and growth. By mastering the art of coaching and team building, leaders can empower others to excel, drive performance, and foster a culture of continuous improvement and success. Our panel will offer practical insights and actionable strategies for leaders to inspire, motivate, and support their colleagues on the path to excellence.

Through a combination of research insights, practical examples, and interactive exercises, participants will learn the essential skills and techniques for coaching and team building. By mastering these techniques, leaders can effectively support the development and growth of their team members. From recognizing achievements to setting clear expectations and providing autonomy, leaders will learn how to ignite passion and drive among their team members. The seminar will emphasize the value of leveraging individual strengths and embracing diversity within teams.

By the end of the seminar, attendees will:

1.    Explore the foundational principles of coaching, including active listening, asking powerful questions, and providing constructive feedback. 
2.    Examine the importance of building trust to create a safe and supportive environment where team members feel empowered to take risks, share ideas, and collaborate effectively.
3.    Discuss motivational theory to investigate strategies for inspiring and motivating colleagues to achieve their goals. 
4.    Delve into techniques for recognizing and harnessing the unique talents and perspectives of each team member, leading to greater innovation and success.

Assessed ECG SES Standards: 2.3 (Developing Others); 2.4 (Team Building); 4.3 (Technology Management)

Learning Objectives: Enhance your understanding of different career choices and paths that can help inform your next career steps through an exciting dialogue with outstanding leaders and scientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service.

Thinking about your personal and professional goals are critical steps in planning your STEM career in these rapidly changing times. Barriers are being broken and the future looks bright with opportunities for STEM careers. Given this rapid period of change, what should you be thinking about as you plan your career? Join U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service panel members as they share their personal journeys and describe how they approached their career choices, including overcoming challenges and seeking opportunities in different ways.

At the end of this seminar, participants will be better able to:

1. Use what has been shared by panel members as guidance to help build a road map to career success.
2. Understand how making decisions based on personal and professional goals and values can lead to career satisfaction and success.
3. Design next steps in their career plans to select a career path aligned with their personal and professional goals.

"Strategic Women Rising: Voices that Inspire Impact" is a dynamic panel featuring trailblazing women from both STEM fields and corporate leadership roles. The discussion will explore the upward trajectory of women in high-ranking positions within these traditionally male-dominated industries, offering invaluable insights into their professional journeys. Each panelist will share personal stories of breaking barriers, overcoming challenges, and shaping the future of their respective fields.

The conversation will also focus on the importance of mentorship, leadership, and advocacy in fostering more inclusive environments for women in STEM and corporate sectors. As these women highlight the pivotal moments in their careers, attendees will gain practical strategies for leveraging their voices to create lasting impact. Additionally, the panel will examine the evolving role of women in decision-making positions, exploring how their contributions are driving innovation and influencing positive change.

"Strategic Women Rising" aims to inspire current and future leaders, providing a platform for women to empower one another and champion diversity and equity in the workplace. This panel will serve as a beacon for women aspiring to rise within their fields, proving that their voices not only matter but can inspire significant impact.

This discussion will take place during the Breakfast with Legends and Leaders. 

Synergy Unleashed: Human-Empowered AIs in Innovation and Ethics

Learning objective: We will explore how humans and AI can optimally work together and give industry examples.

In the realm of artificial intelligence (AI), recent advancements have propelled machine intelligence to unprecedented heights, surpassing human abilities in numerous specialized domains. However, amidst this era of transformative innovation, certain fundamental human qualities — empathy, ethics, and nuanced decision-making — remain indispensable and inherently superior. This seminar explores the evolving landscape of Human-Empowered AIs, where the convergence of human capacities with AI technologies fosters a symbiotic relationship aimed at addressing complex challenges and driving innovation.

The session delves into the nuanced interplay between AI capabilities and human attributes, highlighting how each facet complements and enhances the other. While AI excels in data processing, pattern recognition, and computational tasks, it often lacks the inherent human qualities crucial for ethical reasoning, empathetic understanding, and context-based decision-making. By integrating human insights and values into AI systems, we unlock the potential for more holistic, responsible, and socially aware technologies. Ultimately, this seminar aims to inspire a dialogue on the future trajectory of AI development — a future where human ingenuity collaborates harmoniously with machine intelligence.

By the end of the seminar, attendees will:

1. Examine key issues on the ethical implications of using AI applications in the workplace.
2. Explore the role of human judgment in AI-assisted decision-making.
3. Discuss strategies for cultivating empathetic AI systems.
4. Investigate tactics for paving the way for comprehensive problem-solving approaches that may shape our technological journey towards a more empathetic, ethical, and innovative future.

Assessed ECG SES Standards: 1.1 (Creativity and Innovation); 1.2 (External Awareness); 1.3 (Flexibility); 1.4 (Resilience); 1.5 (Strategic Thinking); 1.6 (Vision); 2.4 (Team Building); 4.3 (Technology Management); 6.5 (Continual )

An Evening of Empowerment and Inspiration

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to be appointed to the Supreme Court, said “It has taken 232 years and 115 prior appointments for a Black woman to be selected to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States,” “But we’ve made it. We’ve made it. All of us.”

It's our time to lead a generation of women to own the importance and the necessity of their contributions to the collective success of our families, our communities, our workplaces, our nation, and the global community in which we live.

The Tech talks presented at WOC draws attention to the varied experiences of women at key points in their STEM career journey. It unveils the contrast between their universal experiences, and the uniqueness of each career trajectory. The Women of Color Tech talks serve to inform women of their options, and to remind them that they matter, that staying the course matters in measurable ways to our collective success.

The Women of Color Conference Women Empowered to Engage presents a panel of powerhouse women who share their career challenges and successes on their road to claiming their rightful seats at the STEM table. This trusted community of leaders offers its perspectives for everyone from early to mid-career to top executives who continue to press for the progress that women have already earned. Enjoy tonight’s no-holds-barred conversation and walk away empowered by these phenomenal women’s voices.